Controlled Burning

Ranchers need to clear their land of undergrowth now and again, 

but when we see smoke over the horizon while driving home, 

it sometimes puts us into a bit of a panic, and we have to drive out to see what's going on.

We could see that it was a controlled burn, 

and that there were men out there with their vehicles, keeping an eye on things.

Always a little bit too close for comfort, though.

Random Silky

The Look Out

For a change, after lunch, we drove out to "our" little look-out just before you get to Albany.  We were actually following the smoke that we had spied from far off, hoping that it was nowhere close to our place.

It turned out to be quite a ways away, much to our relief.

The little boy roamed about a bit with the hubs, on that tiny little plot of raised land...

It was, after all, a lovely day out. :)

Happy Birthday Jet, Ace and Tex!

We got to go see the cousins to celebrate 3 of the boys' birthdays.

Jet turned 10 and the twins turned....7? Lol. I know. Bad Aunt.

Of course, a lot of the time, the best part was the "after party" out in the back yard :)

To me, the best part was being able to hang out with family 

Look how far these two boys have come since their itty bitty days :)

A Cabin by the Lake

We drove by our neighbor's "cabin" out by the lake today. He had told the hubs that if we were ever in the area, we could stop by and check it out.

It is a quaint and cosy little place, fully furnished and ready for the grandkids to come swim and sail and all kinds of good stuff.

He had the inside of basically a metal "box" made to where there were several rooms, a proper bathroom and kitchen, and even a loft above.

We didn't stay very long, but I know it must have a gorgeous view of the sunset.

Mother Nature's got a keen eye...

for design!

This is what was still lingering after all the snow and ice had begun melting away....

the photos don't do the intricate patterns any justice, though. 

Family

Sometimes when we drop by at Mamo's while Cindy's in town, we have 3 out of 4 Woods siblings at the same place, and it is a wonderful sight to behold.

It is always heartwarming to hear them reminisce about their parents, with so many loving and sweet stories to tell.

A Snowy Day Pt II

We almost never have this much snow remaining the next day.

It was very pretty, tho.



The little boy spied a cat huddled under a tire rim for warmth.



Lots of critters - including ourselves, had been making all kinds of tracks on the snow.



Some even used their entire bodies...... :D



Arm a little boy with a cell phone, and you can expect a bunch of selfies...



The hardened slushy pools were most intriguing..




There was enough snow to build all kinds of snowmen..





We tried to get Jasper in on the action, but alas, the snow was a lot more melted by then.



Perhaps there'll still be another chance in the season.

A Snowy Day Pt 1

We awoke to A Snowy Day.



The kind of Snowy Day that SELDOM/RARELY happens in Abilene.



With snow piled high on the steps, and icicles over a foot long, and growing ever longer...



With the possibility of making snow angels without seeing one blade of grass underneath.



It does make for a pretty scene, even if at the back of my mind, I know that slushy mud is in my near-future.



Snow Days are perfect for little boys tho.



The world is now their canvas.



And their science lab,





where they display their er, feats of engineering :D and imagination,



and the ordinary is now transformed into something way more magical.

all the while knowing that we have a cosy home to retreat back into when our frozen fingers and toes and noses can't take much more.



-7 C = 19 F
21 C = 69.8 F